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Neighbourhood is the big buzzword at the moment in the health and care system. This is driven largely by the government’s vision of creating a ‘Neighbourhood Health Service’ - outlined in the 10 Year Health Plan, aiming to help people to live well in their local areas and reduce the need for care delivered in hospitals. Despite this newfound enthusiasm for neighbourhoods, neighbourhood health has actually existed long before the current use of it, often referred to as integrated care or place-based working. Within the context of potentially changing national policies and funding cuts to the very structures that can help enable neighbourhood health how can the enthusiasm for neighbourhoods match up to the reality on the ground? This King's Fund event will tackle the conceptual ambiguity around neighbourhood health with a people-first, community-led focus that enables the NHS, the voluntary sector, other public services and communities to work together as equal partners to keep people happy and healthy where they live. Join for interactive workshops, panel debates, keynote talks and case studies from people already making it work. Let’s shift the dial on improving population health and creating a neighbourhood health service that works for us all. Sessions will explore: what is a people-first approach to neighbourhood health and why it matters examples of innovative and creative approaches to neighbourhood working that put the needs of people first overcoming barriers to true neighbourhood health, including habits and behaviours, and expectations from national bodies international approaches to neighbourhood – what’s worked and what hasn’t why thinking beyond traditional transactional contracts and breaking organisational siloes is key to enabling people-first neighbourhood health. Register

Claire Cox, Associate Director at Patient Safety Learning, reflects on the changing landscape of health and care in the NHS and the impact this is having on patients' and families' voices being heard and acted upon. Over the past decade, there has been increasing recognition that patient safety is not only about systems, processes and data, but also about listening carefully to the people who use health services. Patients, families and carers often see risks first, experience harm directly and notice when care does not quite join up. They move across services and settings, observe patterns over time, and are frequently the first to recognise when something feels unsafe. Their voice is a vital source of safety intelligence and an essential component of keeping people safe. And yet, at a time when patient safety is positioned as a core NHS priority, there are growing questions about whether the patient voice is becoming harder to hear. This question matters, not only in terms of experience and trust but because when patient insight is weakened or marginalised, opportunities to prevent harm may be lost.[1] A changing landscape The NHS Patient Safety Strategy sets out a clear ambition to improve safety through better insight, learning and culture. Central to this was a commitment to partnership with patients, openness about harm, and a shift from blame towards learning and improvement.[2] This was followed by the publication of the Framework for involving patients in patient safety, which explicitly recognised that patients, families and carers have a role not only in their own care, but in shaping safer systems.[3] However, alongside this, the wider health and care landscape has undergone significant structural change. Reforms have sought to simplify accountability, reduce the number of arm’s length bodies, and move towards more integrated system working through integrated care systems and integrated care boards (ICBs). While these changes aim to improve efficiency and population health outcomes, they also reshape how patient voice is gathered, represented and acted upon. Most recently, Dr Penny Dash’s review of the patient safety landscape in England proposed further consolidation, including changes with direct implications for the visibility and independence of patient voice at a national and system level.[4] These proposals include: Transferring the hosting arrangement of the Patient Safety Commissioner to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). Creating a new patient experience directorate within NHS England, subsequently forming part of the Department of Health and Social Care following organisational merger. Abolishing Healthwatch England, with its strategic functions moving into the new patient experience directorate. Bringing together the work of Local Healthwatch, and the engagement functions of ICBs and providers. While these changes are intended to support efficiency and clearer accountability, they also risk making the routes through which patient experience and concerns influence decision-making less visible and more diffuse. As responsibilities are absorbed into larger and more complex structures, there is a danger not by design, but by consequence, that patient voice becomes harder to translate into meaningful action, particularly at a time when safety pressures are increasing. Is the patient voice fading—and how do we know? If the issue was only structural, it might be resolved through clearer governance arrangements. However, concerns about the patient voice appear to be wider and more deeply rooted. From a patient and family perspective, there is growing evidence of frustration and fatigue in trying to be heard. Patients affected by harm often describe long, complex processes to raise concerns, repeated requests for evidence, limited feedback and a sense that responsibility is passed between organisations. Complaints processes are frequently experienced as procedural rather than relational and focused on resolution rather than learning.[5] Families involved in high-profile patient safety cases have consistently reported that their concerns were raised early and repeatedly, yet were not taken seriously until harm became undeniable. These experiences are reflected in national reviews and the work of the Patient Safety Commissioner, which highlight systemic barriers to listening to patients and acting on their concerns.[1] There is also increasing confusion for patients about ‘where’ their voice sits in the system. As engagement functions are consolidated across providers, ICBs and national bodies, patients may be unclear who represents them, who holds power to act and how their insight contributes to improvement. This can be particularly challenging for people whose care spans multiple organisations or pathways. Importantly, these challenges are not evenly distributed. People who already face barriers to accessing care: including those with disabilities, learning difficulties, language barriers or complex needs, often experience the greatest difficulty being heard, increasing the risk of avoidable harm and inequity.[3] Taken together, these experiences create a perception that, while the language of partnership remains strong, the practical influence of patient voice may be weakening. Patient Safety Partners: opportunity and vulnerability One element of the patient safety architecture that remains unchanged—and notably unaddressed in the Dash Review—is the role of Patient Safety Partners (PSPs). Introduced through the Framework for involving patients in patient safety, PSPs are patients, carers or members of the public who contribute to organisational governance and management processes for patient safety.[3] The introduction of PSPs marked an important step forward. It acknowledged that people with lived experience, including those affected by harm, can offer valuable insight into safety governance, learning and improvement. In many organisations, PSPs are making a meaningful contribution, challenging assumptions and helping leaders to view safety through a patient lens. However, the role also carries vulnerabilities. PSPs often work within complex governance environments and may lack clarity about their purpose, influence and impact. Demonstrating tangible change can be difficult, not because their contribution lacks value but because systems are not consistently designed to capture, evidence or feed back on that impact.[3] There is also a risk that PSP involvement becomes inconsistent or symbolic, particularly under operational pressure. Without clear support, feedback loops and visible outcomes, PSPs may be left offering insight without knowing whether it has altered practice or improved safety. Why patient voice matters for safety Patient safety depends on the ability to detect risk early, learn from harm and create cultures where concerns are raised and acted upon. Patient voices often surface issues that are not immediately visible through metrics alone — such as communication failures, gaps in coordination or the cumulative impact of repeated small errors.[2] History provides stark reminders of what happens when patient voice is not listened to. The cases involving hormone pregnancy tests, sodium valproate and pelvic mesh all demonstrate how patient and family concerns were raised over many years before being acknowledged. In each case, the consequences were profound, leading to avoidable harm and, ultimately, to the creation of Patient Safety Commissioner roles in England and Scotland. When patient voice is weakly connected to influence, opportunities to prevent harm are lost. This is not about attributing blame or questioning the intent behind reform, but about recognising that structural change can have unintended consequences if patient involvement is not actively protected and strengthened.[4] How should the system respond? If there is a genuine risk that the patient voice is fading, the response needs to be deliberate and multi-level. At provider level, organisations should embed patient voice within safety governance, including supporting PSPs effectively, and treat patient insight as a core source of safety intelligence rather than optional feedback.[2] At system level, ICBs and commissioners play a critical role in ensuring patient insight informs system-wide safety priorities, clarifying accountability for patient voice across pathways, and maintaining trusted and independent routes for raising concerns.[4] At a national level, there is an opportunity to articulate clearly how patient voice fits within the evolving patient safety architecture, ensure consolidation does not weaken independence, and align patient experience, safety and improvement more coherently.[4] Policy in England has consistently emphasised partnership, co-production and learning from patients as foundations of safer care. The NHS 10 Year Health Plan reinforces this ambition, seeking to move towards a more patient-controlled NHS.[6] The patient voice does not need to be loud to be powerful, but it does need to be heard, supported and acted upon. As the NHS continues to evolve, there is an opportunity—and a responsibility—to ensure that listening to patients remains central to patient safety. The question is not whether patient voice matters, but whether enough is being done to ensure it continues to shape decisions that keep people safe. References Henrietta Hughes. Government and NHSE need to start listening to patients. Health Service Journal, 2023. NHS England. The NHS Patient Safety Strategy: Safer culture, safer systems, safer patients. 2019. London: NHS England. NHS England. A Framework for involving patients in patient safety. 2021. London: NHS England. Department of Health and Social Care. The future of patient safety: Review of the patient safety landscape in England. 2024. London: DHSC. Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman. Listening and learning: The role of complaints in improving public services. London: PHSO. NHS England. The NHS 10 Year Health Plan. Fit for the Future. 2025. London: NHS England. Join the Patient Safety Partners Network In June 2023, Patient Safety Learning established the Patient Safety Partners Network. The network meets monthly in a virtual capacity and now include more than 150 Patient Safety Partners. These meetings provide a supportive and safe space to: discuss the barriers and opportunities share successes discuss how they can use their collective voice to make a difference for patient safety. Only Patient Safety Partners working with NHS organisations in England can join, although experts are often invited to present or discuss specific topics. If you are a Patient Safety Partner, you can find out more about the Patient Safety Partner Network, and how to join here.

Integrated care systems (ICSs) have existed in one form or another since 2016 and became legal entities in 2022. They were set up to form partnerships that bring together NHS organisations, the VCSE sector, local authorities and others to take collective responsibility for planning services, improving health and reducing inequalities. Almost a decade into their journey, there are clear signs that progress is being made, but it has been uneven and difficult. What does the next decade look like in the face of a continually challenging and changing landscape? This event from the King's Fund will explore how partners within ICSs can continue to meet challenges and drive improvements in health and care, including by supporting the three fundamental shifts outlined by the Prime Minister in a speech at The King’s Fund – a move from analogue to digital, from hospitals to communities, and from sickness to prevention – and how to embrace these shifts to improve services. Through a series of panel discussions, presentations and workshops, we will look at what progress has been made so far in the journey towards integration that is important to uphold, and how the government’s plans, including the 10 Year Health Plan could offer further opportunities to deliver better integrated care and drive improvements in population health. Join peers, experts and leaders to explore areas, including: how the vision of care closer to home can be realised the role digital technology can play in improving access to health and care services international comparisons that can be drawn on to improve services here the importance of focusing on prevention to improve the health of populations how system-wide solutions can be utilised to tackle workforce challenges answering the controversial questions that are often unaddressed how it feels to lead through change and what can be learnt from it. Register

The health and care system in England is undergoing significant change. With a new government setting its priorities, an ambitious 10-year health plan in development, and ongoing challenges such as workforce shortages and health inequalities, understanding these complexities is more important than ever. This is a two-day event led by The King’s Fund’s policy and leadership experts. Whether you’re navigating integrated care systems, grappling with social care reforms or seeking clarity on the pressures facing health and care, this event offers essential knowledge and balanced insights. Register

PPP’s third phase of its integrated care policy programme centres around the Integrated Care Delivery Forum 2024. Following a successful May event in Birmingham earlier this year, the third phase concludes with another full day in-person event, this time hosted in London. The Integrated Care Delivery Forum 2024 builds on the foundations of the ICS Roadshow and ICS Delivery Forum 2023, continuing to connect key health and care stakeholders for vital debate and networking on the future of integrated care. By connecting ICS leaders with on the ground innovators and industry experts, the Delivery Forum helps local systems grapple with workforce challenges and service pressures. The Forum is a unique platform to discover best practice and discuss new system transformation models. A new government with a fresh mandate provides new opportunities to transform health and care services. As such, the London Integrated Care Delivery Forum will be a more than timely event, providing stakeholders with a platform to debate the big issues facing the sector. The Delivery Forum will consist of three major theatres, each of which tackling a specific topic area and hosting carefully selected arrays of sector leaders. Register

This conference will provide a focus on the pivotal issues concerning the future strategies of both the NHS Long Term Plan (LTP) and and integrated care systems (ICS) and will incorporate key elements of the 'Major Conditions Strategy' that is currently being developed. This major conditions strategy theme within the conference begins with one question: how should our approach to health and care delivery evolve to improve outcomes and better meet the needs of our population, which is becoming older and living with multimorbidity? With varying groups of conditions being explored in our plenaries and workshop sessions: cancers, cardiovascular disease (CVD) (including stroke and diabetes), mental ill health, and chronic respiratory disease. There are signs of positivity with exciting new technologies and sources of data that enable staff to better see and treat disease at an earlier stage. Our conference and its dedicated plenaries, evidence-based case studies and educational workshops will explore how to supercharge this agenda. Amongst our core themes will be the exploration of the potential of AI and technology to deliver digital transformations, and position the UK as a world leader in virtual health and social care. As such topics such as Virtual Wards, Remote Patient and Whole Patient Management systems will be at the forefront of certain plenaries. Also underpinning the conference's focus are the strong desires to tackle health disparities and promoting inclusion in health, as articulated through the NHS Core20PLUS5 framework, and detailed by senior host speakers on the day. The event is free for NHS staff, who can use code JBVIP100 when registering to remove all costs. Register for the conference

The landscape of commissioning, its arrangements and responsibilities are regularly shifting and can be complex. The terminology used may change but whether it is called commissioning, strategic commissioning or population health management it is important to recognise that effective health services need to be properly planned, designed and resourced – so the work of commissioning is, and will remain, vital. Join this two-day virtual event from the King's fund to be at the forefront of discussions about how the narrative around commissioning and its future is changing, and how organisations from different parts of the sector can get involved in designing and improving the services, both for those working in the health and care system and for the people and communities who use health services. Sessions will bring together individuals and teams across the health and care system to showcase different examples of how commissioning is being used to plan and transform services. These will aim to inspire you to think differently about commissioning and the way organisations can work together to achieve effective commissioning process across the health and care system. It will also explore how regions, integrated care boards and place-based partnerships will need to work together to design, improve and deliver services. You will also learn how the culture around commissioning, planning and improvement is changing as the system moves towards a more collaborative approach. Register

The landscape of the health and care system in England is challenging and complex, and the system is facing profound challenges. At this event, which will take place virtually over two days, policy and leadership experts from The King’s Fund will help you gain a greater understanding of how the health and care system in England works and how it is changing, giving balanced and honest views about the pressures and opportunities it faces. In the run-up to the anticipated general election, our experts will also explore which health and care topics are likely to dominate at the election and which are not, and what this means for people working in the sector.  Delegates will:  make sense of how the NHS is structured and funded learn how various components at system, place and neighbourhood levels come together to create integrated care systems (ICSs) gain an understanding of the key components of primary care and the role they play in the health care system hear about health inequalities and how groups from the voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector support wider efforts to improve health inequalities gain a clear understanding of how the social care system is structured, who works in it, and how it is funded learn about the current pressures facing the health care workforce and what this means for the sustainability of the system have the opportunity, through a dedicated session, to ask any questions not answered throughout the event. Register

Integrated care systems (ICSs) have the potential to radically transform health and care through collaboration, long-term thinking, and by pushing the boundaries of what is possible. In this summit, we give voice to innovative thinking and practices by hearing from senior leaders and partners from both within and outside of the health and care service, who have found ways to create meaningful impact by doing things differently. Be inspired by leaders who despite challenging circumstances and a backdrop of a 30% reduction in running costs have carved out opportunities for collaboration to create transformational change. Join us at this event to be at the forefront of discussions and debate on how ICSs can work differently to meet the needs of their local populations and fulfil their original purpose. Through keynote speeches, panel debates, case studies and interactive workshops, this summit will explore: how we meet the potential of ICSs to transform health and care the importance of focusing on prevention as a way of sustainably meeting the needs of local populations, and the role data has in it how provider collaboratives and Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) can work together differently and effectively to deliver integrated care services how reconvening community services so that care is moved closer to home can potentially transform the health and care system the value of working with patients and communities to provide better services how system-wide solutions can be utilised to tackle the workforce crisis what leading in uncertainty feels like and what can be learnt from it. Register

The Birmingham Integrated Care Delivery Forum is taking place on 9 May 2024. Speakers confirmed so far include: Cathy Elliott, Chair, NHS West Yorkshire ICB Pearse Butler, Chair, NHS South Yorkshire ICB Naomi Eisenstadt, Chair, NHS Northamptonshire ICB Amanda Sullivan, CEO, NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire ICB Tapiwa Mtemachani, Director of Transformation and Partnerships, NHS Black Country ICB Dr Ananta Dave, Chief Medical Officer, NHS Black Country ICB The Integrated Care Delivery Forum is free to attend for public sector and third sector organisations. Register for the event